


Reprogrammed

by FanficFemale



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Being reprogrammed is NOT fun., Emotional Manipulation, Episode 68 Alternate Ending, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Lightning and Windy are dicks., M/M, Mind Manipulation, Revolver does not come in time to save Yusaku and Ai., one shot for now.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24064459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficFemale/pseuds/FanficFemale
Summary: Alternate ending to Episode 68. When Yusaku and Ai are captured by Lightning and Windy but with no dramatic entrance from Revolver to interrupt them. they succeed in reprogramming Ai to make him join their side.
Relationships: Ai | Ignis/Fujiki Yuusaku
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64





	Reprogrammed

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea I had to get out. I would love to do a full story on this, but for now this is all I will post for now. Who knows, I may do other one-shots based on this alternate universe.

**Being Reprogrammed**

Dread formed in the pit of Playmaker’s stomach as he watched the data storm suck up the orb that contained Ai into its heavy winds. The feeling only grew worse when those same winds started piercing through the orb and right through Ai’s body. Playmaker’s eyes widened in horror when Ai’s bloodcurdling screams echoed through the room as his body was being decapitated piece by piece right before his eyes. Particles of data were flowing out of Ai’s cuts like blood as the limbs that had been separated from Ai dissolved and were drawn into the storm. Soon Ai’s head was all that was left and somehow despite the obvious pain he was in, Ai managed to look in Playmaker’s direction. Playmaker could see the terror in Ai’s eyes, yet there was also something else there as well. It was like Ai was trying to reach out to him and every part of Playmaker wished he wasn’t trapped so he could stop this. Then the winds began ripping apart Ai’s head until only an eye was left.

“P-Play…maker…” called out Ai with a single tear escaping his eye before it too was destroyed.

In that moment something broke in Playmaker and a loud scream broke out of his mouth before he dropped down to his knees in despair.

“Oh, so the human actually did care about him after all. How amusing,” mocked Windy as he condensed the data storm that had destroyed Ai and carried it over to Lightning.

Lightning didn’t respond for a moment as he seemed to be considering something as he glanced at the distraught Playmaker still trapped within his orb. However, it seemed that he soon came to some kind of decision as he simply took the data storm into his hands before floating over to Playmaker. Playmaker became immediately on edge with Lightning right in front of him and the smug expression on his face didn’t help either.

“Since you witnessed Ai’s death. It only seems fitting that you should bear witness to his rebirth,” stated Lightning.

Before Playmaker could respond, Lightning swiftly dug his hand into the mini data storm causing it release all of Ai’s data that it had collected. Lightning then gathered all of the data into his palm before suddenly changing the shape of the mini data storm into a knife and used it to cut open his wrist. Playmaker was shocked by the action as he saw the data now flowing out of Lightning’s wound into Ai’s data. As Lightning’s wound was knitting back together, the huge cluster of Ai’s and Lightning’s mixed data started coming together as well. Slowly but surely, a body was being constructed with the data and features were being added to it. When the body was finally complete, the familiar unconscious form of Ai was before them. Lightning then quickly placed his finger to Ai’s head causing Ai’s body to convulse for a few seconds as the stripes on Ai’s body glowed with a bright yellow light. When Lightning removed his finger, Ai’s body soon relaxed before Ai’s eyes snapped open.

“Ai…” whispered Playmaker, somehow feeling relief and dread at the same time.

As if he had heard Playmaker, Ai turned to face him with red glowing eyes. Playmaker didn’t know how to react to seeing those eyes on Ai. He was used to Ai’s bright, warm, and friendly yellow eyes, but now they had been replaced with hard, cold, calculating red ones. Ai stared at him for a minute before completely ignoring him as he started talking with Lightning and Windy about their plans to usurp humanity. Playmaker could hardly believe the words that were now coming out of Ai’s mouth and knowing that he meant every one of them. It was clear that Ai was no longer the partner he used to know and it broke Playmaker’s heart more than he thought it would.

When the three Ignis were done talking for now, Windy turned to Playmaker with a gleeful look.

“So, what should we do with the human? Can I get rid of him like I did with mine?” Windy asked with eagerness in his voice.

Playmaker definitely didn’t like the sound of that nor the heavy implication of what Windy did with his Origin. He couldn’t help but glare defiantly at Windy which only made the Ignis chuckle. However, looking at Windy’s own glowing red eyes made something click in Playmaker’s brain. He then shifted his eyes to Lightning.

“You reprogrammed Windy too,” he declared, to which filled Lightning with amusement.

“I did as I’ll do to the others soon,” he replied boastfully. Lightning then looked at Ai.

“I think we should let Ai decide what to do with his human,” commented Lightning.

“Oh, that’s perfect! Tell us Ai, what are you going to do with him?” Windy asked mirthfully.

Ai turned in Playmaker’s direction and stared at him for some time. Playmaker was growing uneasy as Ai continued to pierce him with those cold calculating red eyes. Ai then looked back at Lightning and Windy to voice his decision.

“I’ll keep him, he can be useful to us,” answered Ai.

Instead of feeling relieved, Playmaker was all the more worried. The fact that Ai now saw him as some possession instead of a partner did not bode well for him at all.

“Tsk, disappointing,” pouted Windy with his arms crossed.

“Very well then, how do you wish to proceed?” asked Lightning.

Ai spared Playmaker a brief glance this time before answering.

“Leave us alone for a minute,” requested Ai.

Windy looked ready to protest, but Lightning quickly intervened.

“As you wish. Once you are done come find us and we will continue to plan our next course of action,” was all Lightning said before he and a reluctant Windy left the room.

Once the two Ignis were gone, Ai made a relieved sound before turning back to Playmaker.

“Finally, I thought they’d never leave,” claimed Ai with a mirthful expression on his face.

Ai then made a gesture with his hand before the orb that trapped Playmaker disappeared. Playmaker’s eyes widened in shock as he was now free.

“Ai? What?” said Playmaker, not understanding why Ai freed him.

A grin formed on Ai’s features as he floated closer to Playmaker. Playmaker became tense and started backing away as Ai drew closer, making the grin on Ai’s face vanish.

“You’re afraid of me now, I don’t like that. You should never be afraid of me Playmaker. I would never hurt you. You know that, right?” asked Ai in a hopeful voice as he moved in closer.

“No, I don’t,” he answered honestly still trying to distance himself from Ai.

“No amount of reprogramming is ever going to make me stop caring about you Yusaku-chan,” Ai stated seriously causing Playmaker to stop in his tracks.

Playmaker didn’t know what to make of that. Ai sounded so sincere just now, but he couldn’t forget that he was still not the same Ai that he knew either. When Ai saw that Playmaker was no longer backing away from him, Ai was quick to close the gap between them and place his hand on Playmaker’s forehead.

“But that doesn’t mean I won’t do some reprogramming of my own,” commented Ai with a cheeky grin.

Playmaker panicked when he heard those words, knowing what Ai planned to do. Yet, he soon realized that he could not move a muscle as he was now frozen in place. Obviously, Ai had done something to prevent him from moving, which is why he was surprised that he could still speak.

“Ai…don’t do this, please” Playmaker pleaded, hoping that Ai would not go through with this.

A look of regret briefly appeared on Ai’s face before a more sympathetic expression replaced it.

“I have to, if I don’t Lightning or Windy may try to get rid of you and because of my new programing I wouldn’t be able to stop them. This is the only way I can guarantee your safety,” solemnly explained Ai.

In that moment Playmaker realized that there was more of his partner left after all. Ai wasn’t going to reprogram him out of malicious intent but in order to protect him. Ai taking this course of action did made sense. Both Lightning and Windy seemed to have very little empathy for humans and Windy pretty much confessed that he killed his own Origin. If he wasn’t on their side, they knew that he would be too much of a threat to keep alive. But for some reason despite the reprogramming Ai still cared about him and so with only being left with the options of either reprogramming him or ending him, Ai was choosing the former.

Playmaker hated that they had been forced into such a situation. Even though he had figured he was walking into a trap when he followed Ai to this place, nothing could have prepared him for all of this. He had to witness Ai being ripped apart before being corrupted and molded back together to become Lightning’s pawn. And now he too would be forced to become another pawn for Lightning to use. Still, he supposed that was better than the alternative, maybe. Regardless of whether or not he preferred being dead or being reprogrammed, Ai was obviously making the choice for him anyway. Accepting his fate, Playmaker looked right at Ai.

“I understand,” he told Ai.

Both Ignis and Origin looked at each other with empathy and resignation at what was about to happen.

“Despite your less than friendly and apathetic behavior at times, I always loved you just the way you are. So, I’ll try to keep as much of you intact as I can,” Ai said with a heavy but calm voice.

The love confession that Ai just dumped on him stirred up feelings inside of Playmaker that were unfamiliar yet pleasant. However, before he could full process those feelings and respond to Ai’s confession, he felt a painful throbbing in his head. The pain soon intensified as it felt like a bunch of worms were crawling into and through his brain. Memories were being observed and prodded while new insights, and perspectives were being implanted onto those memories. Thoughts that would have never came to him before suddenly bombarded him and filled him with new ideas and knowledge. His mind had been made anew, but it was not over yet.

That same wormlike crawling sensation then spread down from his head and all throughout his body causing it to involuntarily twitch and spasm. Playmaker wasn’t sure if it was his Link Sense or just a normal instinct that alerted him to something forcing its way into his very soul. He could actually feel that thing roaming and probing his soul as it twisted and remolded certain pieces of it, shifting and changing some of his emotions and feeling in the process. It was such a horrible feeling, like he was being violated from the inside as something foreign dug itself deeper into his core. He started hyperventilating, wanting to claw out that terrible thing that was penetrating him. He wanted it out!

_I’m almost done. Just hold on a little longer Yusaku-chan,_ he heard Ai whisper soothingly inside his mind.

Hearing Ai’s loving voice inside his mind helped him to slowly calm down and relax as his body eventually stopped twitching.

_Good, now just keep calm for me while I finish the last of my modifications. Okay Yusaku-chan?_

_Okay Ai_ , he agreed, which relieved Ai greatly as he continued to make adjustments to his partner.

Playmaker could still feel Ai poking and rearranging things inside of him, but now it felt a little more bearable than before. When the penetrating feeling finally left his body and Ai removed his hand from his head, Playmaker knew that it was finally over. Ai gazed at Playmaker for a moment before speaking, this time out loud instead of in Playmaker’s head.

“Who is our enemy?”

A hardness came over Playmaker’s face as the answer came swiftly out his mouth.

“Everyone,” he answered firmly.

“Good, and what is our new goal Playmaker?” Ai asked him seriously.

Playmaker’s now fierce and determined green eyes met Ai’s cold and harsh red ones.

“To make them all pay,” he answered confidently.

Ai gave an affirmative nod to this.

‘That’s right. Both Ignis and humanity will suffer for hurting us,” he declared with some bitterness before his features softened.

He placed his small hand on Playmaker’s cheek caressing it tenderly. Playmaker couldn’t help but close his eyes and lean into Ai’s touch.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you again Yusaku-chan, I promise,” proclaimed Ai as the red glow of his eyes faded to reveal his original yellow eyes that were shinning with affection towards Playmaker

This made Playmaker open his eyes to gaze fondly at Ai with a small smile on his lips.

“Neither will I, Ai.”

Ai wanted to savor this moment with his Origin, but he knew that Lightning and Windy would start getting impatient and suspicious if he took too long. With a sigh, Ai removed his hand from Playmaker and his eyes became red once more.

“Until we can find a way to strike back, we’ll have to play by Lightning’s rules for now. Which means we’ll have to play our parts carefully. Do you understand Playmaker?”

Fortitude showed on Playmaker’s face as he comprehended what Ai was saying. As long as they had to work with Lightning, Ai would have to treat him as though he was just a tool to be used for his convince and in turn, he would have to act like he was nothing more than a puppet following his master. Neither of them liked it, but knew it was necessary. For now, anyway.

“I do,” replied Playmaker in a firm tone.

Ai was glad to hear this.

“Then let’s go. We shouldn’t keep Lightning and Windy waiting,” Ai stated as he floated over to land on top of Playmaker’s duel disk.

With a quick nod in understanding, Playmaker led them through the temple to find their new and hopefully for them, temporary allies.

**Author's Note:**

> If I ever pick up this story you can be sure that Lightning is definitely going to regret reprogramming Ai when everything is all over. 
> 
> In case you're curious for why I believe a reprogrammed Ai would turn out this way. Considering how much Ai cares for Yusaku enough to sacrifice himself (3 times) there was no way that him being reprogrammed would remove all of his feelings for Yusaku. Instead the reprogramming is making Ai act on those feelings in a more immoral and tainted way. With how Ai behaved in Season 3, I can see him choosing to reprogram Yusaku instead of letting him die. And I wanted this reprogrammed Ai to act similar to Season 3 Ai so this works.


End file.
